How can you carry out a comprehensive geriatric assessment?

An initial risk screen of all older people in hospital aged over 70 years should identify those who would benefit from a comprehensive assessment. This need may change during the patient’s hospital stay, as indicated by ongoing monitoring of their health status.
Communicate clearly with the patient, their family or cares and explain why you are collecting the information and how it will inform their care plan.

Four main dimensions of assessment The four main dimensions covered in a CGA should include physical, functional, psychological and social assessment as follows:

 

Physical SAsessment	Functional Assessment	Psychological Assessment	Social Assessment
• Presenting complaint • Past medical history • Medication reconciliation and review • Nutritional status • Alcohol • Immunisation status • Advanced directives	• Activities of daily living • Balance • Mobility	• Cognition and mood • Memory assessment • Blood tests • Ultrasound • And other related information	• Living arrangements • Social support • Career stress

 

 

The geriatric assessment differs from a standard medical evaluation in three general ways

(1) It focuses on elderly individuals with complex problems
(2) It emphasizes functional status and quality of life
(3) It frequently takes advantage of an interdisciplinary team of providers. Whereas the standard medical evaluation works reasonably well in most other populations, it tends to miss some of the most prevalent problems faced by the elder patient.

Benefits of CGA

The  benefits  of CGA, in  comparison  to  less  structured  multidisciplinary  assessment  where each discipline approaches the patient’s assessment and plan of care in isolation, include:

• Improves diagnostic accuracy
• Optimizes medical and rehabilitation treatment
• Enhances health and functional outcomes
• Informs the development of individualized care plans
• Assists in avoiding the potential complications of hospitalization
• Facilitates effective discharge planning

Why is it important?

Older people are the major users of hospitals, and often have longer stays, which increases their risk of functional decline.
Older people with frailty and multi morbidity as well as impaired cognition, poor mobility and incontinence will benefit from a comprehensive assessment.
Information gained from a comprehensive geriatric assessment allows clinicians to implement a person-centered care plan which can reduce functional decline, support independence and improve quality of life.
An assessment can also facilitate discharge planning and reduce length of stay, medication use, and the need for admission to residential care.
A comprehensive geriatric assessment is a good time to encourage the older person and their family to consider advance care planning, identify their substitute decision maker and document their decisions.
Comprehensive Geriatric assessment Options are available at Senior Citizen Healthcare We provide the best and innovative Comprehensive Geriatric assessment service for older person.